Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton says seeing Shaka Hislop collapse on TV was "worrying and upsetting" - and that he hopes his former team-mate is OK.
The pair played alongside each other at the London club, and were both in the Hammers team for the 2006 FA Cup against Liverpool.
Like many football fans, Ashton, a pundit for the BBC and Talksport, was left stunned when he saw Hislop, 54, collapse while working as a pitchside expert .
Speaking to Champions UK Plc, Ashton, 39, said: "It is obviously very worrying and upsetting to see Shaka collapse live on telly. It is something you wouldn't wish on anyone. From the few things I've seen, he seems like he's in a stable condition, which is great to hear.
"Shaka was just so laid back, and such a character within the squad. I was very young when I was at West Ham and he was getting towards the end of his career, so he had plenty of wise words for me but nothing too heavy as he wasn't that type of person.
"His personality comes across on television as relaxed so it's always worrying to see someone you know in that position. I just wish him the absolute best in terms of recovery and in terms of getting the right treatment."
Hislop began wobbling before falling forward into his ESPN broadcast partner, Dan Thomas, sparking immediate panic on the touchline and with viewers. The weather in Pasadena on Sunday was in the mid-80s, according to Accuweather.com, but it's unclear if that played a factor. He was part of the ESPN team discussing the match between Real Madrid and AC Milan when the incident happened. He is currently reportedly in a stable conduction.
Ashton added: "Hopefully he'll be back on our screens in no time but for now, I just wish him the best in terms of treatment and recovery."
Ashton was capped once for England but was forced to retire from football aged just 26 after failing to recover from an ankle injury sustained on international duty.
He spoke out about his ex team-mate in an interview with Champions UK ahead of taking part in the Farmfoods British Par 3 next month.
Ashton is among a string of retired pros - including Alan McInally, Paul Dickov and Don Goodman - who will be competing in the tournament at Nailcote Hall near Coventry.
To apply for free tickets, visit www.britishpar3.com